Westlake High student earns distinction

Jessica Loring

Jessica Loring, 16, of Thousand Oaks and a student at Westlake High School, recently attended the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine at UCLA and the National Student Leadership Conference on Medicine and Healthcare in Washington, D.C.

Jessica, who was nominated by her math and science teachers, received a special invitation for inclusion in the program because of her academic excellence, leadership potential and her interest in pursuing a career in medicine.

She joined outstanding high school students from the United States and abroad at the 11-day forum at UCLA as well as the six-day conference in the nation’s capital.

Jessica also is involved in a youth advisory council for the Southern California Organ Procurement Center where she met liver transplant recipient Larry Hagman of "Dallas" fame. And, as a recently selected member of her school’s advanced anatomy class, she’ll be participating in human cadaver dissection.

An advanced placement scholar with distinction, Jessica enters her senior year at Westlake High School with a 4.56 grade-point average. She’s among the 5 percent of high school students nationwide honored by inclusion in the 1999-2000 edition of Who’s Who Among American High School Students.

Jessica is an editor-in-chief of the school yearbook, a member of the National Honor Society, and vice president of the California Scholarship Federation and the Westlake High School Student PTSA. She is on the school’s track and field team.

During the past academic year, Jessica volunteered as a tutor for Conejo Elementary School and her last two summers were spent volunteering at Wildwood Day Camp.